Chapter Twenty one:
Fire Temple
‘Behave yourself while I’m gone.’ I told Annie sternly. She rolled her eyes but didn’t look up from her work, spread out on the kitchen table.
‘I have thirty tests to give out and then mark. I doubt I’ll even get to see Chuck before you come home.’
‘Good.’ I grinned, leaving the house without another word. Mum had already gone to work, thinking I was taking Lennie on my usual Laven trip.
It should be fine, I tried to convince myself. I’ll come back before heading to Tempit, no matter what I find.
No matter how many times I said it, it didn’t feel true.
‘You’re expecting to be gone a while, aren’t you?’ I asked as we set off into the desert, in the opposite direction of the fire caves.
Lennie winced.
‘How did you know?’
‘Because you spent way too long going through the stall details and routine with Mary. You even hired that new guy to help her out. Does that mean you’re coming to Tempit with me?’
Lennie didn’t answer.
It took four days to reach the fire temple. It was a simiar distance away as Laven, but taking the most direct route meant travelling through the desert the whole time. So instead we headed north long enough to reach the end of the desert, then walked east for three days before entering the desert again.
‘Good job you don’t overheat anymore.’ Lennie said.
‘Yeah,’ I agreed. It had taken a few trips to Laven after my skin had changed, but now when I got too hot heat evaporated from the cracks between my scales. It was actually better than sweating, but it also meant when it was really warm I had steam constantly leaving my body. It left my clothes damp and the startled looks people gave me were constant, having to do a double take to make sure I wasn’t on fire.
It was close to night on the fourth day when I spotted the temple in the distance. Or rather, I spotted a large area on fire.
‘The temple is hidden inside the inferno.’ Lennie explained.
‘Of course it is.’ I sighed, ‘I take it you know the way in?’
Lennie gave a mischievous grin, startling me.
‘Have you forgotten who I really am?’
We continued walking until we were a few meters from the flames.
‘So, how does an earth immortal get past fire, exactly?’ I asked, feeling dizzy from the amount of steam leaving my body.
Lennie closed his eyes, brow wrinkling in concentration.
‘Do you trust me?’ he asked, distracted.
‘You know I do.’ I frowned, ‘Why…’
I trailed off, noticing the ground shake in front of us. The soil began to move, being pushed upwards as a green shoot broke through the surface, growing rapidly.
He’s going to break through with a flower? I thought sceptically.
The flower grew until it reached my chest, then sprouted open into a red rose. At its centre a thorn posed to strike.
‘Er, I think the thorns are supposed to be on the stem, Lennie.’
‘Can you lift one of your scales up so the thorn can prick you under it?’ Lennie asked, his eyes still closed.
I gave him a funny look which he couldn’t see. After a moment I shrugged, using my right hand to lift a scale on my left arm. The plant striked immediately, stabbing with deadly accuracy between the scale gap. I flinched back, watching as the plant began to wither and die.
‘Thank you,’ Lennie said, opening his eyes. ‘Part of me thought you wouldn’t do it.’
‘Gee, I wonder why.’ I said, irritated, releasing the scale and wincing as blood began to well up between the cracks. Even with my scale drawn back, the strike had only been as effective as a needle prick.
‘Can you flick your blood at the fire?’
‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’ I accused, ‘Testing my limits.’
‘Maybe a little,’ he shrugged, an amused grin tugging at his lips.
I did an underhand swing towards the fire, sending blood flying towards it…
It landed a few steps short.
‘Shut up.’ I said, glaring at Lennie. He held up his hands in surrender, his face a mask of innocence.
I stepped as close to the fire as I could bear and swung my arm again. The blood that hit the fire sizzled like acid, melting the flames away and spreading. I stepped back and watched as the entire length of fire dissolved into nothing, revealing a temple beyond.
It was ancient, older than anything I’d ever seen, built from crumbling black stone that was coated in sand and soot. Pillars surrounded it as a type of courtyard, with a black paved path leading to a large doorway entrance.
‘…Is my blood acid?’ I squawked, staring at my bleeding arm in horror.
‘No, no.’ Lennie said, chuckling. ‘In order to gain entry to the fire temple a fire immortal must open it using their blood. The fire will stay absent while you are within a mile radius, then it will reignite.’
I kept staring at my arm, my stomach filling with dread and fear.
If my blood can open it, am I really still human?
‘It’s the same with the Earth, Water and Ice Temple, only an immortal of the temple’s type can open it.’
‘Why? I thought they’d want mortals to come worship them as Gods.’
‘Step inside and see.’
My boots were covered with soot in a few steps, mixing with the sand already there. I touched a pillar as we went past, its texture like something burnt, but still sturdy in structure.
There was no door for the entrance, just a doorframe, twice my height and wide enough to fit three men side by side.
Inside I could see a fire in the centre of the room, set up like a big bonfire, but the burning wood never seemed to need replacing. The fire’s heat was pleasant, lacking the usual uncomfortable sting when getting too close. At the flame’s centre a statue was visible, one of a dragon.
‘Firo,’ I breathed, moving closer so the flames touched me. Their warmth was pleasant, not even burning my clothes. I stepped further in until I was face to face with the statue.
It was a dragon, smaller than her real life form, looking more human sized. But it was damaged, cracked and crumbling. I didn’t dare touch it in case it broke beneath my fingers.
‘It’s damaged!’ I called back to Lennie. ‘Who did this?’
‘No one can damage these statues. They reflect the state of their owner, and no other being can harm them. The only person who can step through that fire to reach Firo’s statue is Firo herself.’
I turned and exited the flames. ‘So she really is dying.’ I whispered. ‘But how can an immortal die? That’s impossible.’
‘Not impossible, just unknown. Firo is not immortal, but a dragon. The power over fire will pass onto Berthilda, against Firo’s wishes, unless you become her successor.’
Around the perimeter of the circular room where statues, all facing towards the fire. Unlike Firo’s, all these statues were in perfect condition. Lennie pointed at the nearest statue. I reluctantly moved closer for a better look.
All immortals looked to be in their early twenties. Berthilda was no different. Her face had a cold scowl, with long hair done into a single plait reaching her mid-back.
‘No good would come of Berthilda taking Firo’s place, for any of us.’
I nodded, distracted, as I moved to the next statue, squinting my face in disgust when I saw it was Ignatius.
Pity I can’t damage this; I’d love to come back with a sledgehammer one day.
I moved around the room to the other statues, pausing at the tenth and last one.
The statue was a dragon, but very different from Firo. Instead of a big body with wings this dragon was snake like. All my senses of the world had dulled, solely focused on the statue.
Who are you? I wondered, leaning forward.
‘That is the newest immortal formed. I don’t know much about them.’ Lennie’s muffled voice said.
I didn’t reply, moving closer. I closed my eyes, focusing, sensing. I reached out, drawn to a presence similar to Firo, yet so different.
I was in the ash field flying, flying towards a red glow. Unlike Firo this wasn’t a warm, comforting blob, but a bright fierce red that warned of burning and passion, making me want to reach it all the more.
My dragon body landed, sensing the red spirit acknowledge me, reach out…
‘Firo!’ Lennie shouted, shaking my shoulders. ‘What’s going on?’
I blinked my eyes open, realising I now had my arms wrapped around the statue and was sniffing its neck!
I pulled away, stumbling into Lennie, who steadied me.
‘Are you alright?’ he demanded, turning me around to look me over.
‘Yeah,’ I said faintly, struggling to come back to myself.
‘Come on,’ Lennie said, leading me out of the temple. It took all my willpower not to glance back at the statue.
It wasn’t until we were a mile away from the temple, causing the barrier flames to reignite, that my mind finally cleared. I shook my head vigorously.
‘What happened?’ Lennie asked, eyes narrowed in worry.
I stayed silent, strongly reluctant to share what had happened.
‘Why me?’ I asked instead. ‘Why did Firo choose me?’
‘Because you are extraordinary in many ways, ones that you still don’t see. You can cause a dint in the immortal’s power, I’m sure of it.’
I stayed silent for a few minutes before finally speaking in a quiet, but firm voice.
‘I need to go to Tempit. I don’t know what I’ll do when I get there yet, but I have to go.’
Lennie nodded, his eyes filled with pride and anxiety.
‘I know…but I can’t go with you.’
My head spun to face him, eyes wide with shock.
‘My master has called me back. I must return to the earth realm.’ He sighed, his grief sincere. ‘I wish I could stay, I do, but-’
‘No, I understand,’ I said. ‘I saw how much control Ignatius had on Father…So that’s why you prepared Mary.’
‘Yes, she thinks I’m going to live with relatives in Carmina for my retirement. The stall is yours now, as well as my house.’
‘Thanks.’ I said, looking down. I didn’t know what else to say.
‘Well,’ Lennie said awkwardly, clearing his throat. ‘We don’t need to part until we’re out of the desert, so there’s still a little time.’
I nodded mutely, a lump in my throat.
It was late night, early morning by the time the edge of the desert was in sight. I squinted in the distance.
‘What’s that?’ I asked.
‘Men, I believe.’ Lennie said, frowning. ‘I think we should camp here tonight and avoid them.’
I frowned, feeling I should argue but not sure how it would help.
They weren’t just men; it was a small army marching past.
Neither of us slept well, just watching the army move past, then imagining and pondering why it was here.
‘Were they from the King, or from Lar?’ I wondered aloud as we finally left the desert.
‘…Dimitri, travel to Laven now, it’s in the same direction I’m going. Don’t go back to Firo, just leave with me now.’
I shook my head, his sudden urgency filling me with dread.
That army is going to Firo, and it’s all my fault.
‘Dimitri, I can’t return to Firo now. I can’t go where Ignatius is without severe consequences, not now the understanding between him and my master is over. Please come with me!’
I looked at his panicked face, seeing true fear there. Fear for me.
‘I can’t leave Annie.’ I said.
His whole posture slumped in defeat as he nodded in understanding.
‘…I guess this is where we say goodbye, Rafferty.’ I smiled weakly. ‘Thank you for everything.’
Lennie grimaced and darted forward, pulling me into a fierce hug.
‘We will meet again someday. I promise.’
Without another word he released me, turning to head north. His whole body was rigid, but he didn’t hesitate or look back.
‘Goodbye,’ I whispered, turning to run north-west. ‘I hope you’re right.’
Scribbled Thoughts 